


seasonal changes

by azu_no_ephemeron



Category: Ensemble Stars! (Video Game)
Genre: Im sorry this is a mess, M/M, cute late night meetings, first year hokuto is there for 0.3 seconds in chapter 2, hurt and comfort esp in chap 2, i don’t use the word boyfriend at All because im a coward but they are. boyfriends. u will view them, soft fluff and feelings! i just think they’re neat, supportive boyfriend rei
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-12
Updated: 2019-08-12
Packaged: 2020-08-19 21:02:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 2,226
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20216224
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/azu_no_ephemeron/pseuds/azu_no_ephemeron
Summary: Rei and Wataru, from summer of their second year to spring of their third.





	1. summer

  


6:30 in the evening - the sun is only just beginning to sink, yet there's not a soul around. The cicadas sing their hearts out in the heat of the season, invisible but making their presence known to all. 

Perhaps Rei finds that admirable.

He's sitting, one leg crossed over the other, on the rooftop of Yumenosaki, half watching as his friend and fellow oddball, Hibiki Wataru, rehearses lines for his newest play. The diminishing sunlight frames the long-haired youth's silhouette, bringing out the violet of his eyes. He seems to have forgotten that he has an audience, or perhaps he's always like this as he practises. Wataru's eyes are glazed over as he focuses on an unknown something in the distance. Rei isn't paying full attention, but Wataru's tone and expression convey all the emotions that he needs to understand the scene in an instant. 

"You were all monsters beyond human understanding... Living in a different dimension from the rest of the world. Why would you come here? Why walk amongst us?"

Rei, feeling mischievous, decides to join in.

"Was it wrong? We were lonely, living by ourselves. And who gets to decide what a monster is, anyway?"

Wataru doesn't miss a beat. He shakes his head and replies,

"Humans and gods just aren't meant to live together. Your greatest mistake was trying to be one of us. You would've been fine if you hadn't come into our world."

Rei is trying to think of a witty reply to that when there's a gentle tap on his head. Wataru has closed the distance between them and is looking with fond annoyance (but mostly annoyance) down at his senior, script rolled up in his hand.

"You said you would watch quietly."

His tone is severe, but his eyes betray his amusement.

Rei grins. 

"I couldn't resist. ‘Nd hey, ya don't mind."

Wataru quirks his eyebrow.

"You're lucky you're cute."

He says it so quietly, Rei almost misses it.

"Nn? What'd ya say?"

"Ah, it's nothing."

"Hey, hey! I know ya said something!"

"Hm~? I don't know what you mean~"

Wataru has closed his eyes and folded his arms, and is pretending not to notice Rei.   


Something big is brewing, and Rei knows it. It has everything to do with the naming of the Eccentric Five, the fall of the unit Chess back in spring, and even the new Dream Idol Festival system. He's not Natsume, with his powers of prediction, but he's pretty sure that soon the whole school will be wrapped up in it. But for now, Rei is content to pretend nothing is wrong and continue laughing alongside Wataru, basking in the fading summer sunlight while listening to the cicadas' song.


	2. autumn

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> pain

  


Autumn is, Wataru remembers, also known as 'fall' in English.

What an appropriate name for this season, then.

The curtains close on the grand stage Natsume had called heaven, just an hour or two ago. But for him and his little helper, their fallen souls sure weren't going to heaven.

With this, it's over. Everything should be, anyway. He gently removes Hokuto's mask, revealing his junior's defeated expression. Wataru is well aware that he's the cause of it, but it hurts to see nonetheless. He places his hand on Hokuto's head. 

"Go home, Hokuto-kun. There won't be any club activities tomorrow."

Only now does Hokuto look up from the ground, unspilt tears shining against the brilliant blue of his eyes like the stars he is named after. Wataru can feel his hurt, and despite the nonchalance Wataru has shown him, he does want to comfort him.

But he really isn’t in a state to be doing that right now, so all he can do is tell him that things will be okay.

Rei finds him in an empty classroom, sitting on a table and staring out the window. Wataru doesn’t hear him as he approaches, but he knows only one person would wordlessly join him atop the desk he’s on. He leans in to Rei, resting his head on Rei’s shoulder. It’s late, and the sky is dark. Though the windows are closed, the classroom is cold, but Rei is warm. 

Just like any other human.

After a long silence, Rei speaks.

“Natsume n’ the others went home when I came t’ get ya.”

Wataru, who had been slowly drifting off to sleep, looks up at Rei. 

“Did they say anything?”

It’s a silly question, and one that he's afraid to hear the answer to. 

“Yeah, they did.”

Wataru opens his mouth to tell Rei that actually it’s fine, forget he asked, he doesn’t really need to hear it—

“They said you were beautiful, n’ that it’s okay, it isn’t your fault, n' that ya don't need to worr- oi, Wataru?!"

Without him realising, his body has started shaking. His throat is closing up; it's hard to breathe. His vision is blurry and his face is wet and his features are scrunched up into what he's sure is an awful sight. He hasn't cried in a long time, not even for a play (of course not, all his plays this season have been stormed by angry Yumenosaki students; he hasn't performed in months), but worst of all he hasn't cried with such raw emotion and such a sense of release in possibly forever. Belatedly he realises that he's crying into Rei's shirt, but he can't muster up the strength to stop, and his voice isn't working enough to apologise. 

Rei stays by his side, wrapping an arm around his trembling body, holding him close and patting his back soothingly until he slowly regains his ability to breathe at a normal rate. 

Wataru falls asleep to Rei's gentle stroking of his hair.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> im sorry


	3. winter

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> late night hatsumode!

Rei has only ever done his _hatsumoude_ with his family, so he isn't certain... But he's _pretty_ sure most people don't do theirs at 3am in the morning.

To be fair, Wataru is not most people. And really, Rei wouldn't love him as much if he was.

(_That's a lie; Rei loves Wataru regardless._)

He sneezes. It's not exactly warm at this hour of the day, and he's never been good with the cold. To think that a single text message from Wataru in their Eccentrics group chat would draw him out at such an ungodly time... He's a gone case, isn't he? Still, the cold in his fingers and toes and, well, all over, is worth it when he sees the familiar head of silvery blue hair. 

"Rei! You actually came~"

"Hah? Ya say that, but you knew, didn't ya... That I'd be the only one awake at this time."

Wataru absentmindedly twirls a lock of hair around his finger. Has he ever let his hair down like this in school before? It looks good. He flashes a small smile. 

"I knew you would see it, but I wasn't sure you'd come." 

Rei exhales softly, his breath forming a cloud and dissipating. Everything feels softer in the dead of the night. 

"Well, here I am. D'ya really wanna go to the shrine?"

Wataru laughs, a sound Rei hasn't heard much since autumn and everything that came with it. 

"Would you mind if we do? Since we're here already." 

"'Course not." 

The shrine isn't far from where they met, and despite having to climb some stairs, it's a relatively easy walk. Every now and then, the snow crunches beneath their feet, but the floor isn't icy. They settle into a comfortable silence, and halfway through Rei's hand reaches for Wataru's. The latter doesn't say anything, just accepts it, but Rei swears he hears Wataru let out a quiet laugh.

When they get to the top, Rei is comfortably warm. Not quite panting, but enough that his breath is creating larger puffs of smoke with each exhale. 

Wataru stretches his arms out cheerfully. 

"Haa~ We made it! And look, there's no one around!"

Well, of course not, Rei thinks. No one else would be out here at 3:30 to do _hatsumoude_. 

Still, he will admit that it's pretty magical. 

"... Feels like another world."

There isn't a sound other than their footsteps and the occasional rustle of leaves. It's as if the whole world is asleep, and they're the only people left.

"Fufu, perhaps we've entered a place not for humans~"

_Yeah, that'd be pretty fitting._ He doesn't say it, but he has a feeling Wataru thinks the exact same thing.

They do their prayers. Rei prays that he can graduate Yumenosaki. It's a silly thing to pray for, especially since he's never cared about school before. But he's already a whole year behind, and he would like to finally leave alongside his friends next year.

He has no interest in a Yumenosaki without them.

Wataru doesn't ask him what he prayed for, and he doesn't ask Wataru. They should probably leave soon, but instead they sit on the mossy stone steps and look up at the sky. 

It's cloudless tonight; the heavens have gifted them an unobstructed view of the stars. 

Despite the cold seeping into his hands, toes and butt, this is decidedly an ideal way to spend his new year's morning. Especially since it's with Wataru.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> if you're wondering, hatsumoude 初詣 is the first shrine visit of a new year in japan. you can find more about it by googling the word!


	4. spring

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> finally, we reach spring of the current year :D

It's the start of a new school year. Lots of things have changed: he's tying up his hair now and Rei's bangs and speech style are different! Kanata cut his hair short, and all of them have different coloured ties, proof that they've moved up a year. New faces are everywhere, and for the five of them, it's a fresh new start. The now-second years have stopped looking at him with hostility, or rather they hardly look at him at all (which is rude! and unthinkable!) and to the first years he is just like any other senior. 

Yet, Wataru feels anxious.

A foreign emotion, honestly. He's never had much reason to feel anxious or nervous, even in his highest stake plays and performances. All he's ever had to do is perform according to the script perfectly. 

The problem with real human interaction is that there's no script for him to act by, no role for him to slip into.

And when that happens, he really isn't sure how he should respond. 

When he heads up to the roof, Rei is already there, the spring breeze playing with his blazer. 

He really doesn't know how to deal with these nerves. And if Rei doesn't take this well, how will the others? What would happen to the few friends he's finally managed to make in the last two years? Loneliness has never been a problem for Wataru before, but now having known what it feels like to be surrounded by others... He doesn't think he can go back to his school life last spring. 

Rei greets him casually and with a smile, and though Wataru smiles back he still feels uneasy.

He thought he'd hid it well enough, but clearly he's wrong, because Rei gets up from the corner of the roof terrace that he had been sitting at and comes over to embrace Wataru. 

Sheesh, what kind of an actor is he? How'd he get found out this easily?

"Hey, Wataru? Is everything alright?"

Concern is reflected in his red eyes, and now Wataru just feels extra bad because his sudden inability to keep his feelings hidden has caused Rei undue anxiety. It's never been this difficult to keep his feelings in check before.

Rei could easily let go, but he doesn't, insisting on holding his arms around Wataru's waist as he waits for an answer. Wataru must admit that he's grateful; Rei's touch is soothing, always has been. There's no point in him stalling further, so he takes a breath before speaking softly.

"I've accepted Tenshouin's invitation to join fine."

Wataru is prepared to be hated. Even if it was for the good of the school, Tenshouin is singlehandedly responsible for the destruction of their reputations as idols, the pain that they felt last year during Shu's and Kanata's lives, and all the verbal, sometimes physical, abuse hurled at them from the students. He doesn't need Rei or the others to understand.

But to tell the truth, he's really afraid of being hated by them.

The words have an almost electric effect on Rei, which Wataru expected. What is unexpected is that he doesn't pull away. 

In fact, Rei holds him tighter.

Wataru reacts with confusion, words dying on his tongue.

But Rei speaks before he can.

"It's cool. I get it, Wataru. We get it. Everything."

The same words he said to Wataru on that autumn night last year.

Wataru doesn't break down this time, but he does sink deeper into Rei's arms. The latter holds on to him, making sure they don't fall over.

"It's alright. You had your reasons, didn't you? I told you last year, it isn't your fault."

A strange feeling of warmth washes over Wataru, starting from his spine and spreading out to the rest of his body. This really isn't quite the reaction he had been expecting, but it's definitely preferable. He laughs weakly.

"That... was different, though."

Rei kisses the top of his head, silencing any further protests Wataru may have had.

"It really isn't."

Lots of things have changed in the last four seasons. One thing that hasn't, is Rei being at Wataru's side. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thank you for reading and for appreciating watarei~

**Author's Note:**

> i have no idea what im writing anymore but i hope someone liked this :^)


End file.
